Design Concepts
The design concept of the Aide's Aide website emerged from the goal to provide useful tools for users that are unfamiliar or barely familiar with computer technology. As the base for the design of the Aide's Aide, I am adopting the ideas of multi-layering of user interface and functionality (Dickinson et al., 2007) shows that for novice and older users ``the radically simple'' system is much more comfortable and ``provides more positive experience'' initially. Introduction of layering (e.g. progressively added functionality) helps users learn new technology at comfortable speed and progress according to their needs (Shneiderman, 2003).
Since most of the user population are novice computer users, all pages on the website will open with a very simple design (both interface and functional), and as users' needs and skills progress they should be able to add a new layer of functionality. This approach would take substantial cognitive load off users as they learn the system, while keeping a very predictable environment (e.g. navigation and page layout would stay the same) as they go to the next layer (Dickinson et al., 2007). That should lower the risk of a user becoming discouraged and quitting using the system.
To read more about Aide's Aide design, download the Milestone 3 file on the right.
| milestone3.pdf | |
| File Size: | 2030 kb |
| File Type: | |